Calligraphy is Hard

This weekend we both learned that calligraphy is not easy.  

But, an uber cool skill, don't you think?

Soooo...we'll be at home practicing if need us.

Happy Monday!

P.S.  If you're interested in learning along with us, you can sign up here!

Come on...everybody's doin' it!  Check out Alissa's work!

Jewelry Storage Solved!

As an admitted "Jewelry Junkie," I am always struggling to find a way to store my jewelry.

A few problems besides quantity:

1. I need to have easy access to all of it.

2.  I tend to like jewelry that is a bit on the LARGER side.

3.  I like to keep the boxes of the nicer pieces that I have.

I finally decided to tackle this problem without having to go the custom route, which is the only thing I ever see on Pinterest.

My ideas were some clean hooks from Target and an old school 

(or three) cd towers from Ikea.

With a little muscle from my hubby...

I now have this wall of happiness. 

 Picture via Rebecca June

I can now see everything I own.  Something I never thought was possible.

This set up also now takes up less space surprisingly because the cd towers are so narrow which is actually perfect for jewelry!  Nothing can ever get lost in the back of a shelf.

What are your jewelry storage solutions?

"Jewelry Junkie"

DIY: Mongolian Lamb Stool

create this:

This is one of the best things about the blog world.  Discovering amazing people with amazing ideas that you can incorporate into your home.

I saw this DIY on Mimosa Lane who found it on Preciously Me.

How can you not like this little guy who costs a whopping $80?

All you need is this basic Marius Stool from Ikea and a 16" square Mongolian Lamb pillow that I purchased from West Elm.  A small piece of plywood cut into the same shape as the top and a little foam and batting for padding on the seat.  I then did what Albertina of Mimosa Lane did and added faux brass feet via a little gold spray paint.

Ta-Da!

A to die for new stool for your home.

Let There Be Light

By now you have probably caught a glimpse of Lindsey Adelman's beautiful work that was featured in the pages of Harper's Bazaar in the stunning home of Athena Calderone.

The organic shapes of the custom light fixtures that Lindsey Adelaman designs and creates almost become more like sculptures than chandeliers.

With either huge glass globes or bare edison bulbs, her light fixtures seem to capture your attention in any space they are in.

I obviously needed my very own, but at $15k and higher, it probably was not realistically going to happen any time soon.

Naturally, you can imagine my surprise and excitement when I read on Erika of Small Shop's blog that Lindsey Adelman had a DIY version on her website with instructions on what parts to order and how to wire the fixture.

I immediately downloaded the instructions, ordered the parts, and recruited my Dad to help me.

A few weeks later when everything arrived, and a few hours after assembling, my Dad installed this beauty in my dining room.

 Photo via Rebecca June

The only difference in the version I created was that I hard wired the fixture instead of having a plug on the end, which required me to purchase an unfinished brass canopy to attach the fixture to the ceiling.

I have to tell you, this might be my new favorite thing in my home.  It really transformed the space and it puts off a great amount of light.  Not to mention, it was not terribly expensive.  For all of the parts, tools required and shipping to my doorstep,  I only spent $150.  A steal for any light fixture, let alone a work of art.